[Membersandfriends] Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Tue Aug 24 22:01:27 PDT 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Wednesday, August 25, 2004

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Writers' Workshops Led by UPPER ROOM Editors

Looking for ways to sharpen your writing skills? Workshops led by editors from THE UPPER ROOM magazine will be offered at a number of regional writers' conferences in 2004. Follow the URL below for additional information.
http://www.upperroom.org/ur_home_viewer.asp?item_id=141429
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PRAYING FOR OUR CITY
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Jeremiah 29:1-10 (NRSV)

These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was after King Jeconiah, and the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It said: Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the LORD. 

For thus says the LORD: Only when Babylon's seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

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The LORD said, "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare, you will find your welfare."
- Jeremiah 29:7 (NRSV)
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WHEN we moved from Tamil Nadu in South India to the city of Varanasi in the north, I felt sad about the poor condition of the roads there.  One day I read the passage from Jeremiah above, and God spoke to me especially through the seventh verse.  God led me to pray for the welfare of Varanasi and for the salvation of its people.  So I gathered a few interested people, and we prayed once a week for Varanasi.  

After a few months, new roads were built in the city.  When the welfare of the city improved, so did our welfare.  I thanked the Lord for the roads.  Wherever we live, our welfare is linked with the welfare of the people in our village or city.  

Just as our common physical welfare matters, so our spiritual welfare is linked with that of others.  We are meant to be and to share the light of Christ in the world.  When the number of people who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior increases, we may be sure that our own spiritual welfare increases too.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for encouraging us to pray for our locality or city.  Help us to be faithful to work for the physical and spiritual betterment of the people among whom we live.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
None of us is an island; our lives are linked with the lives of those around us.

-- Daniel Sathiaraj (Hyderabad, India)

PRAYER FOCUS: Refugees and the poor

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RELATED READING ...

In a re-released version of his classic book, DIMENSIONS OF PRAYER, Douglas Steere answers questions and concerns about prayer.  This easy-to-read book offers new "pray-ers" an engaging introduction to prayer while providing valuable wisdom to mature Christians.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=77100

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.